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Career Planning for 12-Year-Olds

Isn’t it about time your 6th graders finally got serious about what they're going to do with their lives? Some lawmakers and education leaders in Florida apparently think so. A new bill in the state’s legislature would mandate intensive career studies for middle schoolers. The measure is part of package of reform proposals put forth by a task force assembled by Republican Governor Jeb Bush. Under the recommendations, kids would also be required to develop an academic and career plan for their high school years. Advocates argue the career-studies requirement would add rigor to the middle school curriculum and give kids a better understanding of real-world expectations. Critics worry that it would inevitably take time away from less patently practical courses like art, music, and physical education. Some educators, meanwhile, question whether the idea is developmentally appropriate: “I’ve taught in middle schools for 21 years, and few to none of my students have ever come to me to talk about a particular career,” observed one Florida teacher. “At that age, they just want to learn and absorb.” And, perhaps, they just want to be 12-year-olds.

121 Comments

i think that we need jobs for 12-14 year olds that are better than what we got b/c what we got really sucks we need jobs to besides sucking up to our moms asking for money, paperrounds,walking dogs,washing cars, and babysitting. it is time for us to be in the real world to see how we like it

We should be able to work because we have needs to I mean as long as we aren't forced to work we should be ok i mean i am getting tired of saying dad can i have 10 dollars to go skatin' i mean it gets old!

Yeah, I agree with these girls.I am 12 years old and have been wanting a job since I was seven years old.I want to baby'sit,but I don't know anyone who has kids and I certainly don't want to baby-sit for someone I don't even know, because they could say they have kids and they don't really! I don't want to deal with dogs watching or walking dogs this summer! I mean come one man! what jobs can I get? How?????? I am desperate!!!

I think 12 year olds should have jobs because not only asking for money but its when they dont have any so when we all get jobs we should help or parents with money.
Beause we arent paying bills and buying food.even if u think your parents will never run out of money think agin.
HELP YOUR PARENTS!!!!!!!!!

IT SUCKS THAT OUR PARENTS WON`T GIVE US ALL THE MONEY WE WANT SO GIVE US A JOB SO WE DON`T HAVE TO ASK THEM FOR ANY.I NEED THE MONEY TO GO AND GET WHAT I WANT.GIVE US JOBS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

us kids need more money and our parents won't give us it."FIND A JOB IF YOU WANT MONEY" my mom and dad say. it could be nice hive a job but I can't find any. I feel the news paper sould have more young kids jobs so it won't be so hard to find a job for us

i think that we should have summer jobs because we might want extra cash instead of always having to ask our parents for the money. and parents are always saying to go find a job or if you want something then for to get a job but we are too young to get a job. and if we start out young with a job that would just make it better for us when we get older.

i think that we should have summer jobs because we might want extra cash instead of always having to ask our parents for the money. and parents are always saying to go find a job or if you want something then for to get a job but we are too young to get a job. and if we start out young with a job that would just make it better for us when we get older.

i'm 12 years old now and i am get in jr high and i think that all of us have the rights to have a good paying job plus its stupid that you just get mony to get something that you want so you get it and it gose down the drain your mony.

if any of you boys or girls but mostly girls wants to chat e-mail me at [email protected]

i need a summer job b\c i have wanted a job ever since i was atleast six or seven or my whole life and i think us as kids are ready for this responsibility and i think that everybody should just stop treating us like babies and as a young adult i think that we should b\c i am getting sick and tired of asking my mom for money and if i get a job i wont have to and what happens if they dont have it.

I think that you should deffinately let us kids have jobs. Im 12 and Im going to be 13 here coming up on august 8th. I have a lot of drive and Im a hardworker. Im ready to get out there and make my mark on the world. I need a place where I am able to work and make my own money, babysitting just gets old. Ive read many of other kids summarys and I think that they are all right and we should be able to have jobs to make money, as long as some of us still are young conservitive kids with half a brain such as me and many others. Thanks for letting me as well as others have a say on these matters.

I think that you should deffinately let us kids have jobs. Im 12 and Im going to be 13 here coming up on june 26th. I have a lot of drive and Im a hardworker. Im ready to get out there and make my mark on the world. I need a place where I am able to work and make my own money, babysitting just gets old. Ive read many of other kids summarys and I think that they are all right and we should be able to have jobs to make money, as long as some of us still are young conservitive kids with half a brain such as me and many others. Thanks for letting me as well as others have a say on these matters.

I think 12 year olds should have jobs because we are at the age were our parents make us have the money to buy things and we dont have any money to buy anything and are always broke because we dont have jobs.

I am 12 ad sick ad tired of askin my parents for money or wantin 2 buy sumfing but dey refuse so if you do give us jobs it will give us something do as well as letting our parents pay their taxes on time(lol).So we'll be able to earn our own money.I NEED MY OWN JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SO PLZ PLZ PLZ PLZ PLZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ GIVE US OUR OWN JOB AD QUOTE ME HAPPY

i am sick and tired of having to have lemonade stands and makeing only a few dollars i cant get a real job till im 14, so what am i soposed to do to get things my parents wont buy. and i dont have any money to go to movies or minigolfing because "we dont have the money because its the middle of the summer" thats when we want things the most!!!!!!!!!!!!!! plz help me i need a job.

Yeah i agree with alot of the people here but no one knows how to get a job at 12,13, or 14... i mean at 15 u can work at mc donalds but tht sux even more..any1 know how 2 get a job at 12 plzzzzzz tel me im desperate!!!

Hey am a 12year old and I hate asking my mom to give me money B/C she doesn't give me it and if i want something i have no money. So WHY DON"T THEY HAVE [email protected] YEAR OLD JOBS? THEY SHOULD . babysitting is cool but who can i find to tke care kids .I live in florida I need help to find a job .It's not fair that there aren't any JOBS FOR [email protected] year olds .Thats Not Fair

I think that it is unfair that there arent any jobs available because we need money.I play guitar my parents wont buy me anothr 1.I need 1 i wood at least like a paper route that pays $5.00 there just arent jobs for us.

i am 12 years old. I've been doing chores all summer long. I got.. 10$ the whole summer. I don't get money on my b-days i get gift cards. the only way i have money to trade the gift cards for money with my money, or asking for money(which i don't get half the time.)I'm not aloud to babysit. Its hard to believe....i WANT TO WORK. kids should not be forsed to work but if they want to earn money they should be able to work in stores or what ever. There are some kids in my class i could never i reapeat never be able to imange working. But kids who responsible shold. PARENT IF YOU"RE READING THIS YOU GUYS SHOUL TRY TO MAKE LAW OR SOMTHING. P.S the kids who posted comments that are spelled wrong or use words like suck.. should not be able to get a job!

I am 12 years old and I think that kids that have 12 years old should have jobs to pay for stuff they want like a game or a laptop,and your parents always say NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and that u dont need that "thats trash"they say but sometimes you want to chat but all the computers in the house and thats not fair and I say that we should work to buy wat we want!!!!!!!!!!

I am 14 and I am a freshmen and I go to a performing arts school where you dance for half the day and then do school the other half and man I need money for ballet shoes and the appropriate atire and everything. So I feel like my parents just pay for everthing, but I wanna pay for my responsibilities!

Ok, guys I was once walking around lookin for jobs in a five block radius within my building because asking parents for money is the oldest thing for an eighth grader who's almost thirteen years old, do you guys know how embarassing it was? I went to a C-Town and they said when I am fourteen, then maybe but not now, a few groceries, no no no. So, I say that theres a building in every town, called... oh I dont know... JOBS FOR KIDS Inc. or something like that, in every majorly populated area (don't forget Brooklyn,Ny!) so if you guys want to help me start a campaign for this idea mention me on this site and I will give my email adress to all those that give theirs, please, help me start a whole new opportunity.

I AM THIRTEEN AND MY PARENTS CAN BARELY
SURVIVE ON THIER INCOME. I AM WRITING A SPEECH ABOUT THIS PLEASE FOWARD YOUR COMMENTS TO [email protected] JUST SO YOU KNOW,I WILL BE USING YOUR COMMENTS AS QUOTES.

hi, im Khal and im 13... i want to get a job but the goverment wont allow people under the age of 13 to work, we all need the money we cant brag on our mom and dad for the reast of our lives can we??? its not fair to them and to us. so if anyone can give me a job, plz e-mail me at [email protected]

i think that us as 12 year olds are good enough that we have enough resonsability that we can have a job. and i also think that it sucks that we as kids have to continualy ask our parents for money. and i am starting to get sick of it becaseu now my parents are just saying no. and now i think that if we have jobs that we can put some in the bank and then also to put in our pockets so we as kids can injoy our crazy things that we can still do.

ok so im 14 and i cant find any babysitting jobs or anything and so i was wondering if anyone could give me any ideas of what jobs a 14 year old can get because im not sure if i can work at mc donalds or anything yet. i want a jobbbbb!

I'm 12 years old and in seventh grade. I've loved animals since I was about 4 years old. Now I want to work in an animal shelter. I would like to get feedback so that when I grow up I can atleast have an idea on what I am going to be dealing with because I want to be a veterenarian. That's why I think that pre-teens and teens should start working early.

12 year olds should have jobs other than baby-sitting or walking dogs!!! I don't know about other kids but i don't want to pick up dog crap for money!!!
they always say were irresponsable when they could be at a bar smoking CRACK!!!

IM 14 ND TURNIN 15 IN APRIL AND I STILL CANT FIND A JOB PEOPLE TELL ME IM MORE MATURE THAN SOME 16 YEAR OLDS AND ITS TRUE I CAN BE PEOPLE THESE DAYS ARE GETTING MORE MATURE AND WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET GOOD JOBS

i get mistaken for being 13 alot i MEAN A LOT!!!!!!!! so i could get mistakin for a teen and get a job and i'm just 10! and my parents would let me. when i was 6 i looked like i was 6 same as when i was 7 and 8. too bad for some of you though sorry but it is all true.

i agree with everyone. i am 12 years old. almost every day i ask my mother and father for money to go shopping or just to have money in my pocket. they might give a couple of dollars but i am gettin tired of asking them for money when i can be making my own money like they are.

I am 13 and i will be 14 feb 24 i need a job because i want to buy cloths and hang out with my friends at the mall. My mom will not give me any more money and she told me to get a job but i dont think she knows how hard that is right now. If you know were i could get a job or just want to chat email me at [email protected]

I totally agree that it really gets old asking your parents for the money. I think that they should change the law and let 12 year olds work. It is not really fair because some of us are actually mature and work hard. We need money for stuff too, and if we had a job parents wouldn't get annoyed with us for asking for money over and over again. WE NEED JOBS TOO!

hi this is stephanie and i think that us 12-14 year olds shouldnt just sit around in our house and going to school and when we come back home again we just sit around playing our video games which i play a whole ton of race car games and win almost every time but anyways we play or just sit around and watch t.v. which really gets boring to me every time or i either go on the computer mostly and when i ask my parents 4 $$$$$ all they say is "darling i'm sorry to say this but if we give u some money you'll go off and spend it on those silly lil' video games even though ur dad likes playing them 2" and i am sick and tired of hearing my mom saying that b/c my dad asks her the same thing and my older sister she has a babysitting job and every saturday she gets $30 and that just ain't no fair b/c she always rubs it in my face.so i'm a 12 year old also and i think we sholud have a job plz let every 12 year old have a job.

any1 who wants 2 no if there r any jobs going then u can get hold of me on 07806465354 i will tell u where u can get a job n give u a reference i will b avalible to get hold of between 8:30 onwards (on weekends) 4:30 onwards (on weekdays) thank you

I am fed up, with being poor!!! I think its OK 4 us 2 have jobs cos we want them, but its wrong to have them if we don't want them! We are getting rly old and crinkly/wrinkly now and we are wiser now, so we no what we want! Its just like if I was pregnant write now at 11, whats to stop me from keeping it(apart from not starting my period yet...) MY LYF MY CHOICE!!!!XxX init Abz Xox

I think ABBIE is totally amazing n if n1 disses her i will break their neck i no she aint a lesbian but i hope she can except that i am n i luv her so much ABBIE RULES so toria u can P.I.S.S off cuz shes mine
Luff Moonbeam Teltubby

Beth is such a gorg person she has a pussy from haeven n i want to ave rough full on sex wid her Moonbeam Teltubby u can have ABBIE cuz i got beth n hopfully i can turn beth lesbian like me or maybe we can have a gangbang wid u,abbie,beth n me licky licky pussy pussy LOVE U BETH toria

look, girls, i waited 4 u in town and u werent there! I really embarresed myself! Standing like a Larry! I really wanted to meet u guys! U seem totally cool! Oh well I guess we will meet some other time?

i am getting jobs for a helper service i walk dogs pet-sit baby-sit and occasionly WATER GARDENS,DO DISHES,OR OTHER SMALL CLEANING JOBS.AND I GET PAID 2 $ AN OUR FOR SUCH A SMALL PRICE TONS OF PEOPLE CALL ME.I JUST HAVE TO PUT FLYERS ON THIER DOORS OR IN THE WIND-SHIEL AT THINGS LIKE PARADES AND FIRE WORKS.I ALREADY HAVE 205 DOLLORS AND THIS IS ONLY MY FIRST WEEK!!!

totally it angers me that when i go to the mall i have NO money to buy things and my parents say "you should buy it with your money" what money I get 6.50 for allowance and im saving for my car i only have a couple of years im 12 but the only clothing she buys me is wal mart and k mart EEW!!! 12 year olds should be able to work and Not crappy jobs!! we have too much time for school!!

I'M FOURTEEN AND I LIVE IN YONKERS. I SEE KIDS GETTING NEW CLOTHS AND SNEAKERS EVERY MONTH WHEN I HAVE TO KEEP MY FOR THE WHOLE YEAR. I WANT TO BUY MY OWN STUFF WITH OUT HAVING TO WAIT FOR MY PARENTS TO BUY FOR ME WHEN IT GETS CHEAPER. SOME TIMES I GET JEALOUS. THATS WHY I NEED A JOB TO MAKE MY OWN MONEY SO I DONT HAVE TO BE JEALOUS ANYMORE.

I think that 12-16 should have jobs cause if we really wants something and our parents dont have the money to get it then we will just be like okay and say that we can just pay it our self i mean come on who wants to spend the rest of your teenaged years depending on your parents for money thats not a good training for when we get out in the real world and dont know how to make money.Governmentns please just give us a chance?